2012-01 No such things as old stale jokes!

In my lecture notes, "Magic for the Working Magician" I blog about using "old jokes" in magic. The title of my lecture notes means that any magician who does shows, knows what I mean when I say, "There is no such thing as (old-stale) jokes'. Those magicians who work, those who perform, understand exactly what I am talking about. Yes there are jokes that are old, that have been around for many years. But I'll bet that every time you use the line in your head chopper routine, "One-Two-Three days ago I did this trick..." will ALWAYS get a laugh. Maybe not from everyone, but the proof of its worth is in the fact that SOMEBODY will laugh. Same thing with the gag, "Place this object in your hand, no..the clean hand". It will get a few chuckles, even though the gag has been around for many years.

At Wizardz, in Kissimmee, it's obvious where the magicians sit from the laymen. Just listen and watch the reaction. At Abbott's Magic get-Together, this summer, all the magicians sat in the center of the auditorium and the laymen, in the school bleachers on the sides. Guess where the best reaction came from? Not the center. Many blogs in magazines, or reviews of acts that the reporter critiques, often mentions "the same old/stale jokes". Trust me, after performing aboard cruise ships for 23 years, I think I have some authority to (hear) what works and what doesn't. Do the old jokes ALWAYS get laughs? Well, no. But then again the best entertainers won't ALWAYS have good shows either. Ask any of them, they'll tell you.

Onboard one of my ships was a comedian who got standing ovations many times. And much of his material I found in Milton Berles Joke book. And Milton Berle probably got them from other comics from years before him. Of course, this ship comedian did update the material to make it sound refreshing and topical. Now comes the most important part. It's the right audience and the TIMING of a joke that makes it funny. Some people don't have the "timing" a joke needs.

I took the "old/stale" vaudeville comedy routine, now a marketed magic trick, the Vanishing Banana/Bandana, rewrote the script, hired a professional voice-over actor to narrate, then, because I don't look like a funny guy, dressed differently. Sometimes the routine gets some of the biggest laughs in my show. On some weeks aboard the cruise ships, I would perform illusions, along with other, smaller effects, and I would get angry for the huge reaction that "stupid" banana routine got. Because the big bucks and back-breaking work was in the illusions, yet that old/stale banana gag got the better reaction...are you kidding me? Is it no wonder that many "working" magicians advertise (comedy) in their show title, even when the show is mainly magic? Too many times, after my show I hear, "I don't usually like magic but...." And guess what, my "comedy" is filled with "old/stale" jokes. Do I use those jokes when magicians are in the audience? Sometimes. Do I use those jokes in all shows? No. Again, it depends on the audience.

 Aboard ships I often did a fifteen minute monolog of old cruise ship jokes. Back in the 1980's there were always more older than younger audiences. And often I would hear from an old timer, "I heard that joke years ago..." Yet, the audience usually howled at the routine because they could identify with what I was saying. It was topical humor...and "themed"...old age jokes and cruise ships...couldn't miss. Oh yes, sometimes a comment card would say "comedian needs new jokes"...but that comment would come from the guy who, in fact, heard the joke(s) before, but not the majority of the audience. Believe me, if there were no or few laughs, I would keep trying different material until the jokes "hit". And that's what I did, so much so, that I put them on tape ("Comedy Live-From Ship to Shore") and sold the souvenir tapes after my show...and lots of them.

Here's my point, unless you only perform for fellow magicians, try some of those old-stale jokes. Update them but know the timing of the joke and I guarantee you laughs, not from everyone but enough to get an idea which jokes or gags you will keep and which are not for you. A few weeks ago I used the (very old) black hand gag. Yes, it got laughs. Not "howls" but enough to use it again, once in a while. Why? Because it's such an old gag-prop that most people have not seen it. Like the Zig-Zag illusion, when in the 1970's every person on the block had one. Not many magicians perform it today. I do....most laymen have never seen a Zig-Zag illusion or even a Sub Trunk or Zombie Ball. I know because I use all three all the time and they never...NEVER...get less than an enthusiastic response. Same thing with jokes....BUT...don't expect "old-stale" jokes OR NEW jokes to get the big laughs all the time. There is a place for all jokes. It's just the delivery, the timing, the audience...and by the way, whom ever said, "There is no such thing as bad audiences, just bad actors/entertainers" never really did shows himself. Don't let him fool you...it's only an old/stale saying.
-Dan Stapleton

2012-01 Charity Magic Show 1/28

2012-01 Dennis' Deliberations

I have a confession. Marco Tempest leaves me cold. I have no appreciation of what he does. I do not consider it very mysterious or in the category of “stage magic”.  It is electronic gimmicky. But, I respect what he does and recognize that he is on the cutting edge of what magic will be in the 21st century. So even though Marco does not entertain me, I am going to heap praise on him.

FIRST: He entertains the public.
SECOND: Whether the “old guard” of magic finds him an electronic “sell-out” or not, he’s GETTING WORK. That is a positive and envious position to be in during this economic mess.
THIRD: I personally find his manner and voice and accent, and even looks, a turn-off, none of which is his fault. Many people like him. He does wear well while performing and is not obnoxious.
FOURTH: Check the history of Marco Tempest. He grew up doing “our” conventional conjuring, entering contests and what not, but then said he got “bored with it all.”  Having a geek’s interest in media technologies, he put on his thinking cap and merged the two.
FIFTH: In the process, he was able to create a novel form of “magic”, with a bit of a rainbows-and-butterflies Doug Henning slant, and it struck a chord with corporate hacks and audiences.  More power to him — considering so many very talented conventional magicians can’t get a decent toe-hold in show business these days.
SIXTH: I and all us old guys  have every right to say, in effect, his shtick of merging video special effects to “our” magic, is not our cup of tea, but we have to admit (through a gnashing of teeth?) that he’s hit on a successful ANGLE and is running with it.  You have to admire that much.Thinking outside the magic box…. is what it’s all about. The world is full of magic clones all doing essentially the same stock stuff. Now watch a few other guys come out of the woodwork trying to copy him.  I don’t think his technological bent can be FAKED, it has to come naturally. Lucky for him he had two sincere interests and was able to combine them, and (most important!) made them commercial.The world has always thrived on NOVELTY, but inherent in the very definition of “novelty” (I think) is something that cannot have “legs.” If it lasts it’s not novel, and if it is novel, it can’t last. When it is accepted as mainstream, it is no longer novel! David Copperfield hasn’t a thing to worry about.

Speaking of  Marco Tempest, how can Europe have at least 5 big touring illusion shows and we have almost nothing?  (They have Dani Lary, Peter Marvey, Luis DeMatos  etc. etc.) I helped Paul Osborne on some of his design work and consultation is in Europe. How can Dani Lary afford this?

This is very odd because I have been told that Europe is a socialist basket case; I have also been told Europeans are dying because their socialized medicine is failing. I have been told that their tax rates are confiscatory so they have no discretionary money. I have been told that most Europeans are crushed economically and have no freedom. That is what I keep hearing on the most watched news network on cable TV. They say that few people their own cars and homes in Europe much less a Super X in the attic and Temple of Benares in the basement.  I don’t know if the news channel is exaggerating for political purposes.  All I know is that Europeans have access to and they see lots of magic!

I have heard from some that big show business is not “controlled” by big mega media corporations in Europe as it is here. It is a lot more diversified and in some cases government supported.  This may be because each country operates politically separate even though they share a common currency.  I don’t think that money alone assure success otherwise Steve Wyrick would be at the top. Europe has a lot more respect for variety arts… Over here in the United States, variety arts do not have the same respect. It took Canada to create the very artsy Cirque du Soleil.  Does America lack a sufficiently sophisticated population to enjoy magic?  

Since I moved here in rural Virginia, I have been forced to drop “magic” from my advertising.  The Religious Fundamentalists here believe all magicians are in league with the devil. When I lived up here in the 1960s, I do not remember such superstition as a magician. What changed?  I would say that we have gone downhill intellectually, religiously and economically since then.The feeling by some on the International show-business scene is that America is become a 3rd world poverty- stricken place filled with ignorant people. A fair number of magicians have become ex-patriots in order to keep working. Jonathan David Bass relocated to Prague in the Czech Republic. Joe Conrad is in Thailand. Japan has several ex-patriot Americans. Cyril, from San Francisco, is a big star. Robert Gallup made it big in Australia. Hank Lee was on a tour in China when he died.   How many road tours like that are there here?

I am mentioning this because I care about my country. Yes, I am also a bit jealous of all the touring large magic shows and sophisticated magic in Europe.

I hope this New Year in a good one for you.

2011-12 Ring 170 newsletter

Newsletter of IBM Ring #170


The Bev Bergeron Ring

Next general meeting Wednesday, 12/20/2011 at 7:30 PM SHARP


I-HOP Kirkman Road
5203 Kirkman Road, Orlando, Florida 32819
Meeting Theme: Club Annual Holiday Party

Please join us for dinner beforehand

Lunch meetings in the McDonald’s at 7344 Sand Lake Road, Orlando. It’s two blocks WEST of the intersection of Interstate 4 and Sand Lake Road. We meet every Tuesday at noon upstairs.

Website: http://www.ring170.com/

F. A. M. E. is the Florida Association of Magical Entertainers
*************************************************************
Directory
Craig J. Fennessy – President – CraigFennessy@gmail.com
Chris Dunn- Vice President – Youngdunns@yahoo.com
Sheldon Brook- Acting Secretary – mrbrook33@yahoo.com
James Songster- Director at Large, - JjTjMagic@aol.com
Joe Vecciarelli- Sgt at Arms - talkingmute@tampabay.rr.com
Stefan Bartelski – Editor of “Famulus”- Famulus@illusioneer.com
*************************************************************

GET PUBLISHED!
Got an idea for an article to add to the next FAMULUS? Put it in the body of an email or in a Word document attached to an email. Send it to Famulus@illusioneer.com, and we will get you in print.

Please, please, please, use the above e-mail address, your messages are in danger of getting lost if you do not do so.

2011-12 From the Editor

So 2011 draws to a close, and I am sure many of us are glad to see the rear end of this year, hoping for a better time in 2012. Remember the last meeting of the year is the traditional Ring 170 Holiday Party. Bring a gift of value at least $15 and have some fun. Even if you do not bring a gift, there will be plenty of fun to go around.

Please consider submitting your name for some of the board positions that will be coming available soon. Let Craig Fennessey know if you are interested, before the December meeting. We will be voting for the 2012 board at that meeting. These positions do not involve a huge amount of work but some new blood and ideas would be very helpful.

Especial thanks to Dennis and Sheldon for the consistency in their contributions throughout the year. As we go into 2012, can I ask the members to please add "submitting an article to the Famulus newsletter" as one of their New Year resolutions.

I would like to wish all members a merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah or Happy Holidays, whichever is appropriate. Of course, a happy and prosperous New Year to each and everyone.

Your editor

2011-12 Ring Report

President Craig Fennessey opened the meeting on November 16th with 19 members and guests present at the opening: more were to come as the meeting progressed. Paige Sessions introduced himself, as a guest and told of his interest in magic and a desire to join the Ring.

Annual dues have come around again and all those members who are paid up by the January 4th lecture, by Joshua Jay, would be admitted without charge.

At our next meeting there will be a Christmas gift exchange and participants are asked to bring a gift,
which will be opened when selected and available for the picking. A gift of $15 or more was suggested. Members were solicited to consider Board Membership for the upcoming year of 2012. This subject will be considered more thoroughly at our next meeting.

Several members told of their current bookings: Ravelli is keeping busy with appearances at the Columbia Restaurant in Celebration on weekends as well as the Marriot Courtyard and Royal Plaza Hotel in Lake Buena Vista. Joe Zimmer endorsed the Titanic, The Experience, attraction on International Drive which is expanding to include a Dinner Show. Mark Fitzgerald and Craig Fennessey are busy at the Hard Rock Cafe and are
joined on occasion by Wallace Murphy, who will also be travelling to Naples to fulfill a Corporate gig. Dan Stapleton is performing at numerous locations on International Drive during this busy Holiday Season. Dan Knapp will be part of the monthly show at Give Kids The World.

Bev Bergeron continued with his series of impromptu magic with a dollar bill production routine. He was followed by Phil Schwartz with Magic History Moment #35. Phil, accompanied by Jeff Pierce, attended a three-day Magic Convention at Brookledge, in Studio City, California, the home, between 1928 and 1942, of Jennie and Floyd Thayer. The Thayers built a Studio-Theater, behind the house, which opened in 1933. The home was purchased by the Larson Family in 1942 who still reside at the property today. Brookledge is a property with a great amount of historical Magic significance. As a result of his interest, Phil recently published a high quality booklet entitled The Story of Brookledge.

After a brief intermission the performances were initiated by Bev Bergeron who did a comical card effect. Richard Hewitt continued in the same vein with a variation of the Invisible Deck. Charlie Pfrogner, with help from an audience participant, illustrated his physic powers of prediction. Dan Stapleton followed with a demonstration of his Poker Prowess with three audience volunteers going against him with little success. Ravelli
closed the evening with a very entertaining performance utilizing coins, rope and cards. It was easy to see why he is a sought after performer.

Sheldon Brook

2011-12 Annual Holiday Party

REMEMBER…the December monthly meeting is our IBM RING 170 HOLIDAY PARTY !!!…come early (6:00pm) and join us for dinner.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011 at 7:30pm

You may bring snacks and drinks (non-alcoholic) to share….

I-Hop is providing the cake!

This year we are doing our traditional Holiday gift exchange…..

To participate in the gift exchange you need to bring a new magic related gift…wrapped….gift value needs to be $15.00 or more.

When you arrive, turn in your gift, you will be given a lottery holiday name….during the gift exchange when your holiday name is chosen…you may select the gift of your choice.  Jacki Manna will be the host for the evening…and will go over the gift exchange rules.

Please….no old magazines or broken flea market buys. Bring something you would be delighted to receive yourself.

Please note… If you choose not to participate in the gift exchange…that’s fine…you will have plenty of fun just watching…and you can also enjoy the free snack food, drink and magic performances after the gift exchange.

2011-12 Update on Charlie Pfrogner

Update to the Charlie Pfrogner Update

Charlie Pfrogner – is being released from the Florida SouthHospital today at 5:30pm today…..Tuesday, December 20, 2011.

You may now see/contact Charlie at:

Conway Lake Health Rehabilitation Center

5201 Curry Ford Road

Rm# 203B

Orlando, Florida 32812

407-384-8838

Thanks for all the support!

2011-12 Dennis' Deliberations

Equivoque is the word that most magicians recognize as “A Magician’s Force”.  This is the technique of making the spectator think that they have a free choice while you know what you want them to choose and manipulate them to take what you want.  I was recently talking to a couple of professional magicians and we were talking about the technique. I told them that I always explain it to magicians as the same thing as asking someone to choose which current author of mentalism books they prefer, Phil Goldstein or Max Maven.  

The PATEO Force is usually credited to Roy Baker. It stands for (P)ick (A)ny (T)wo - (E)liminate (O)ne.  One of the great examples of this technique was when the deep voice of Eugene Burger combined with a Robert Neal story. Eugene laid many cards face down on the table and said that people were dying in the small medieval town and people began to accuse others of being responsible for the deaths. Eugene had a spectator pick two cards and he turned over one. It was the Queen of Diamonds, the town’s seamstress. Was she a witch? No, soon she died. All the cards had a profession in the village. The Jack of Spades was the Gravedigger. He was selected and died. It got down to the only card that was not dead and Burger turned it over and it was the one who brought the plague, the ace of spades.  I thought that this was a great example of story telling and the PATEO Force.  
One suggestion on Equivoque: If you are doing it multiple times, break up the way you ask them to choose so your method is not obvious.  Like Max Maven’s B-Wave, the application of Equivoque can be simple and yet powerful.

MELINDA is BACK.......uhhh.    But I prefer her front.....

Actually, I liked Melinda’s illusions. Perhaps there was not enough room at the top for her. I mean, uhhh, at the top of show business there was not enough room.

She complains in Magic Magazine (November issue) that they used to always want her to dress skimpier.  Well, golly gee, that's all most men remember her for.

She had a lot of “bump and grind” and was properly instructed in that style of dancing by her mother, Bonnie, a former Vegas dancer. But, she could move rather well when choreographed.

Her first and only solo TV special, the Disney produced one taped here in Orlando, was a train wreck but I could see some great routines and concepts in it. Her magic got lost in needless scenes with fairytales; unicorns, cartoon characters and even an Indianapolis racecar vanish. The Melinda personality got lost in a massive Disney promotion show.

 I really hope she can make a comeback.

Some guys are just crazy for magic. They think, eat and have it on their mind all the time. It dominates their life!  I wonder if the following letter could actually ever happen.

Dear Abby,I am a professional magician with a deep concern. I have never written to you before, but I really need your advice. I keep strange hours with my career, and I have suspected for some time now that my wife has been cheating on me.The usual signs; phone rings but if I answer, the caller hangs up. When I'm about to leave for a gig, I learn, for the umpteenth time, my wife is about to go out with "the girls", although when I ask their names she always says, just some friends from work, you don't know them. When I finally get home and discover she's not there, I try to stay awake and watch for her when she comes in, but I usually fall asleep.Anyway, I have never broached the subject with my wife. I think deep down I just did not want to know the truth, but last night she went out again and I decided to finally check on her. Around midnight when I got home from another show, and again she wasn't home yet, I hid in the garage behind some illusion props so I could get a good view of the whole street when she arrived home after night out with "the girls."When she got out of the car she was buttoning up her blouse, her hair and makeup were all messed up and a guy kissed her good-by and I really need your advice!It was at that moment, crouching inside my Zig Zag, that I noticed a hairline crack along the door at the hinges. Is this something I can fix myself, or should I take it back to Abbotts for repairs?Signed...Puzzled Magician

I hope that gave you a Holiday laugh and keep your life balanced in the New Year!  Show attention to the ones you love this holiday season.

Peace and Happiness to all in 2012!

Dennis Phillips, in the heart of the Great Shenandoah Valley, Harrisonburg, Virginia

2011-11 Ring 170 Newsletter

Newsletter of IBM Ring #170


The Bev Bergeron Ring

Next general meeting Wednesday, 11/16/2011 at 7:30 PM SHARP


I-HOP Kirkman Road
5203 Kirkman Road, Orlando, Florida 32819
Meeting Theme: Christmas Effects

Please join us for dinner beforehand

Lunch meetings in the McDonald’s at 7344 Sand Lake Road, Orlando. It’s two blocks WEST of the intersection of Interstate 4 and Sand Lake Road. We meet every Tuesday at noon upstairs.

Website: http://www.ring170.com/

F. A. M. E. is the Florida Association of Magical Entertainers
*************************************************************
Directory
Craig J. Fennessy – President – CraigFennessy@gmail.com
Chris Dunn- Vice President – Youngdunns@yahoo.com
Sheldon Brook- Acting Secretary – mrbrook33@yahoo.com
James Songster- Director at Large, - JjTjMagic@aol.com
Joe Vecciarelli- Sgt at Arms - talkingmute@tampabay.rr.com
Stefan Bartelski – Editor of “Famulus”- Famulus@illusioneer.com
*************************************************************

GET PUBLISHED!
Got an idea for an article to add to the next FAMULUS? Put it in the body of an email or in a Word document attached to an email. Send it to Famulus@illusioneer.com, and we will get you in print.

Please, please, please, use the above e-mail address, your messages are in danger of getting lost if you do not do so.

2011-11 From the Editor

As we draw close to the end of 2011, I have to thank, yet again, Dennis and Sheldon for their regular contributions. And add my regular request to Ring members to contribute to the newsletter. If you are worried about your writing skills, just do what you can and then put a note in your contribution that you would like me to wordsmith the piece. I will be happy to help. By the way, without such a request, I restrict myself to spelling, formatting and minor grammatical corrections.

Remember, at the November meeting we would love to receive the names of some new blood for the board. While we know that the board does a great job, the addition of new recruits with fresh ideas will help ensure that we keep the Ring active.

Your editor

2011-11 Ring Report

President Craig Fennessey called the meeting to order on October 19th with 27 members and guests in attendance. He announced that the reception to Jon Racherbaumer's lecture the previous week was very positive and that the lectures will continue with Johua Jay on January 4th and others to follow. Ring 258 in Leesburg will hold its annual flea market and auction on November12th and the Daytona Beach Magic Convention will be the weekend of November 5th: the membership was encouraged to attend both events.

A good many members of our Ring indicated they are performing in the area: Mark Fitzgerald seemed to be the busiest with gigs at the Hard Rock Cafe, Mitchell's, and Church Street. Jacki Manna can be seen at the Florida Mall and Mike Martin will be entertaining at Give Kids The World. Dan Stapleton volunteered to perform for the school kids involved in a "Drug Awareness Program" sponsored by Elk's Lodge #1079 and the local Law Enforcement Agency. William Hicks, on behalf of the Elks, appealed to the Ring for its participation in the program. Phil Schwartz announced his plans to attend the upcoming Potter & Potter Auction in Chicago. The catalog, which he had in hand, includes, in part, the Ken Klosterman Collection. He then entered into Magic History No. 34 and his subject was none other than the most famous name in Magic from any era, "Harry Houdini", nee, Erich Weiss. His presentation was all inclusive from Houdini's birth in 1874 to 'beyond' his untimely death in 1926. Phil closed his talk by sharing from his collection, a framed broadside and window card of a Houdini performance.

Following an intermission, no fewer than 11 members signed up to perform for an eager audience. Bob Swaddling kicked it off with a card prediction effect followed by Mike Martin's comedy routine. With Halloween closing in on us, Wallace Murphy, turned Silk to Candy Corn. Charlie Pfrogner produced Bugs and other Critters from his empty box. Ed McGowan brought a deck of cards out to entertain with a card prediction routine, He was followed by Chris Dunn with a collection of Halloween "spooky stuff" that included a "zombie pumpkin", silks, and magic books. Mark Fitzgerald performed with both cards and coins a very entertaining matrix routine. William Zaballero demonstrated, once again, his card handling with a close-up effect. Jacki Manna brought her green friend, Jo-Jo Bean, on stage with her and proceeded with a comedy routine that left the membership clamoring for more. Craig Fennessey demonstrated his very entertaining and mystifying Light Board act with a crowd pleasing presentation. Dan Stapleton capped off the evening with a delightful and professional performance of "Ectoplasm".

A fine time was had by all.

Sheldon Brook

2011-11 Magician looking for doves

Mike Berlant is looking for a source of white doves, can anyone help him? Please direct your replies to him (not via the newsletter). he can be reached at mike@mikeberlant.com or 407-592-5763.

2011-11 New magic movies: Walking through Fires & Burt Wonderstone

Mark O'Brien was the closing act at our Famulus yearly banquet a few years ago

Mark O’Brien’s film, Walking Through Fires centers on Mark’s true life story.  It is as real as you can get.  No Hollywood smoke and mirrors, no re-writes and big name production army and no “A” list cast. It is a micro-budget film although it looks like a much bigger budget film.  Mark’s film centers on his loss of a half-million dollars worth of illusions burned in his Orlando warehouse in two suspicious fires five days apart.  Classified to this day as arson by the insurance investigator, many believe the fires were set to thwart Mark’s attempt to open his magic attraction in Orlando.   But the real story and “relevance” is that his film sheds light on the way things really are in show business.  His very personal film depicts the events before during and after the fires and the damage to his career, family, friends and mental health. The film is enlightening, educational, moving, disturbing and inspiring and covers so much of what life is all about.  Justice, corruption, family, career, friendship and magic are all examined within the film’s complex structure.

In spite of this tragedy, Mark remains a World Class Illusionist and has developed into a very good film producer-director.  This is one micro-budget that every magician should see as it will beg them to ask not only why they perform magic but what they find important in their own lives outside of their crazy profession, hobby or obsession.  And they may even ask themselves why Mark O’Brien would spend five years and a great deal of his own money to tell his story in a film.   I wonder if Hollywood could have told Mark’s story any better?

So who the heck is Burt Wonderstone?  He is a fictitious character and you can expect to see Steve Carell star as “Wonderstone” in the magician comedy film, titled Burt Wonderstone. That big budget movie is centered on the world of Las Vegas magicians, with Carell playing a traditional performer who gets a rival in the form of “a hip younger illusionist,” which leads to him having to “find a way to rediscover his love for magic.” According to some press articles, Wonderstone accidentally kills his partner and must regain his “hocus-pocus focus” while simultaneously competing with a rival.  New Line is planning to shoot this month.

According to IMDB, the film script was purchased in 2006. This is the same year that production began on Mark O’Brien’s micro-budget indie.   Thus you may have two films about illusionists coming out at the same time again. Dejavu – like when The Prestige and The Illusionist came out at the same time.  Those films were very similar but these films are very different in many ways.

To see clips from the film and check on the release information you can visit the official site:

http://www.walkingthroughfires.com

Aside from purchasing the DVD or renting it when it becomes available, please support Mark and the real world of independent film making by visiting the film’s facebook fan page and clicking the “like” button.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Walking-Through-Fires/150988531636061 

You Tube is also filled with classic clips of some of Mark’s television and live show appearances.  You will love the creative illusions on many of Mark’s Nickelodeon network TV shows! Some of those were taped in Orlando when Nickelodeon had a strong presence at Universal Studios.

http://www.youtube.com/user/WalkingThroughFires 

If you are searching for relevance in a magic film or even in your life, you may find it in Walking Through Fires.  If you are looking for comedy then let’s hope Wonderstone delivers as much bang as Walking Through Fires does for the buck!

 Dennis Phillips

2011-11 Tablecloth Trick

here is something that might make you laugh (unless you are the boy's parents)

tablecloth trick

2011-11 Dennis' Deliberations

I got an E-mail and later a phone call from a magic friend, who said,

“Dennis, here is an amazing jumbo card routine that sells for $199 being sold by the Hocus Pocus magic company. I just ordered it!” :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=13BV8VdPba4   

The effect is called, The Alchemist by Jansenson.  In checking the You Tube site, I see that Jensenson is a very talented and powerful performer. He has many fine effects posted.  The routine is puzzling but in any other hands than Jansenson, I do not see it as compelling.

First of all, it moves way too slow for American audiences.  The whole effect can be boiled down to the fact that he always appears to know where every card is located. That is the only continuous effect in the whole routine. Audiences don’t care or find that terribly mysterious as the only effect.   They assume he has a stacked or marked deck or is doing phony shuffles. For $199, he could even have an RFI chip in every card and a ring reader to prompt him.  This basic effect is not that strong.

Take the same effect , every card is in its place, and add a story like, “Sam the Bellhop” and you have real entertainment. Try Kerry Pollack’s “Kate and Edith” for socko entertainment.

For a real mysterious crowd pleaser, Billy McComb’s McComical Deck is far better entertainment with a jumbo deck.

This is just my opinion. I have been around magic long enough to know that magicians get thrilled over a clever method and forget the entertainment value. Sure, I could come up with a clever way of doing, “The Color Changing Plate of Spaghetti”.   It would go from bright red to bright blue and the Mozzarella cheese can appear and disappear.   I could use clever chemical reactions and color changing LEDs in the plate and fiber optics.   In the end, I want to say, “so what?”    We have to keep focused on the main thing, entertainment. (By the way if you go ahead with the color changing plate of spaghetti, it was my idea and I demand a cut of whatever you make from any magic sucker who buys it)

**********

I think a lesson to all performers in the twilight of their careers is to always keep working, even if it is for almost nothing.

Dai Vernon, Blackstone Sr. extended their lives long after their careers were over by working for probably peanuts at the Magic Castle.   Calvert at 100 lives on the energy of his stage work.  

In old age, survival depends on community friends, purpose and something to keep you going.  It also depends on an internal sense of who you are and being at peace with yourself.

The “artistic” personality can be self destructive.  Ernest Hemingway shot himself. Bill Neff and many other magicians drank themselves to death.

It is important to never get yourself and your identity totally wrapped up in your stage work. If you can write, lecture, or create, you can keep your life forces flowing.  When you get too old to do the physical stuff, or your act is dated, a person most often mentally falls apart, without other things to keep them going.

I recently got an insight into the demise of The Pendragons.  I got a chance to see the 4 Pendragon videos. They really are excellent resource material for any illusionist to have in their library. They were made shortly before they broke up. Jon really bared his soul about his mental issues.  Two events almost did him in. The tiger attack in Reno in 1992 cause him to lose half of his left bicep muscles and he was forced to re- choreograph all of his moves due to weakness on his left side.  Then the arrow through the heart caused heart damage and weakness. He seems to huff and puff a bit from the cardiac damage.

In the video he and Charlotte were really showing their years.  On tape two they had excellent explanations and video of their famous sub trunk.  It was amazing to have them go through every move, the construction of the trunk and well as the evolution of the handling of the cloth from the first “hourglass” move to how the break away cloth is made.   They also showed the entire sequence from the back!  She tosses up the cloth and he literally stands up and swats apart the cloth (it is Velcro with strategic tabs).   

I believe that their careers stalled and that led to a resurfacing of Jon’s old demons. He admits to having barely controllable OCD.  

Also on the tapes, an excellent insight into his Sands of Egypt, a look at Charlotte broom harness, impaled and most of the classics such as the basket.

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I am intensely fascinated by why people laugh and why and what sort of humor works. (So was Aristotle and that is why he wrote Poetics II! Sadly we only have a few bits of that work) 

What becomes politically incorrect humor?  No magician in their right mind today would do the Bra trick on a female.  On a male it will either get a big laugh or you will get slugged!  

Here is a clip of Spike Jones on early TV! All this is funny stuff!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJG8x1OJubU&feature=related 

Notice how that dressing in drag in comedy sketches carried no stigma then! (Milton Berle, Red Skelton, etc)

Spike Jones’ humor is right out of vaudeville, which was the only format that early TV had.  Something shifted in the social psycho-sexual mindset in the 60s and 70s so that it no longer was funny.

Our humor also shifted.  Bob Orben lines mostly don’t work today. People have no appreciation of linguistic cleverness. Today’s humor is all “put down humor” with lots of profanity and anger.

In contract here is some old style humor: (Borrowed from Harry Allen)  “Before I was a magician I worked in a factory making alphabet soup. They fired me, I was making only 100 Gs a year...Then I worked as a taste tester in a prune factory. It was great job but a lousy schedule. One day on two days off.”  

These lines only work with a crowd over 55!  I have tried them a few times in a high school class and the kids just don’t grasp the language...More examples:

“You think this is a tough school? You should have been at the school I substituted at last week!  The yearbook had two pictures of each senior, front and side!”

No response...”Really, Mr. Phillips? What school was it?”  The routine continues:

“I took one of the students down to the Guidance Councilor and asked the councilor how long it was until the student graduated. The councilor said, "I donno know, maybe ten to twenty with good behavior"! It was a tough school. The Principal told me that I would have all honor students. He was right. All they knew was, "Yes, your Honor. Sorry, your Honor"! It was a tough school.

When the students were in elementary school they played Hop Scotch with real Scotch! I asked one of the students what he was taking in school. He said, "Anything that ain't nailed down"!

I asked, “How do you like school?” He said, “CLOSED!” That school was so tough the Student Newspaper had an Obituary column!  The student news on the School TV channel used the slogan, “If you have the time, we have the crime!”

No response...  “Wow that was really a bad place, Mr. Phillips. What school was it?”

I repeated the same routine in the Faculty Lounge at lunch and the older teachers were rolling in the floor with laughter...

I also have tested the theory outside of school.  I was in Lowes checking out and the cashier was a young woman working with an older woman showing her the cash register.  As I walked up they were talking about how the young woman met her husband.   “I met Bill at a party”.  The older woman said, “I have known Jack since high school”. I walked up with my plywood and said, “I will tell you how I met my wife. She was working at a Travel Agency and I was her last resort.” The older woman laughed, the younger woman looked puzzled.  

I guess I am old school in everything.  Loved Blackstone, detest Criss Angel.   My tastes reflect generational change.

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We got our first snow of the year before Halloween October 29^th!  Four inches!  Few can remember that much snow so early.  The local wisdom is that you can tell how much snow that you are going to get for the winter by how high the hornets build their nests.   I found one just under the roof line near the peak where the chimney is!

I will keep you posted!

Dennis Phillips

Harrisonburg, Virginia